Hot-water heater



Nov. 13, 1928. i 1,691,334

M. H. BRADEN HOT WATER HEATER Filed Deo. 13, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 sheets-sheet M. H. BRADEN HOT WATER HEATER Filed Dec. 13, 1926 Nov. 139 1928.

@Nim M" Patented Nov. 13,1928.

UNITED STATES vPATENT OFFICE.

MABSHALL n.

roaarroN,

BBADEN, F ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 THE .hl'U-WAIY COR- OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, A CORIORATION OFILLINOIS.

HOT-WATER HEATER.

Application filed December 13, 1926. Serial No. 154,378.

The present invention relates to hot water heaters, and has particular reference t0l domestic types of heaters, such as are commonly installed in kitchens, bathrooms and basements for supplying hot water for house,-

hold use.

More specically, jects of the invention is to provide an 1mproved construction of hot water heater utilizin liquid fuel as the combustible medium. he present heater embodies certain characteristic features which particularly adapt it to the burning of liquid fuel, as will be hereinater described. l

A further object of the invention is provide a hot water heater of this type which is constructed substantially entirely of sheet metal, and which is therefore of very inexpensive and light weight construction.

2o Referrin to the accompanying drawings wherein I ave'v illustrated a preferred emf bodiment of my invention:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the present heater, with a portion thereof broken away in section.

Fig.` 2 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the plane of the line 2-2 of` Figure Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the heater, and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the plane of line {1f-et of Fig. 3, with the ,burner unit removed. A

The heater is preferably of cylindrical outline, although it might, of course, be of any other form, and is supported in elevated position upon a plurality of legs 6-6. The upper ends of these legs have horizontallyr extending ilange portions 6 which are bolted or screwed to a circular plate 7 constituting o the bottom of the heater. Resting on this plate are three cylindrical concentric shells 8, 9 and 10. The bottom plate 7 has an upwardly extending marginal ilange 11 which ge of the outer shell embraces the low'er ed 10, such iange being suitably secured thereto in any desired manner.

The upperportion of the inner shell 8 constitutes a 4water containing chamber 12 which is closed at the to by a crowned ciri 5o cular plate 111 having a ownwardlyextending marginal iange 15 which is secured withe in the upper end of the shell 8. The lower Vripheral ange 17 which is welded or otherone of the principal ob-' lare conveyed upwardly, completely envelopend of the water chamber 12 is similarly closed by a head 16 having a depending pewse secured within the shell 8.

The intermediate shell 9 is spaced from the inner shell 8 to form an annular flue area 18 through which the products of combustion ing the water chamber portion of the inner shell. The upper end of the intermediate shell is closed by a crownedhead 19 having a depending ange 21 which is secured within the upper end of the shell, this head be ing spaced from the head 14 of the inner shell to permit the products of combustion to pass up over the top of the inner shell. A tubular outlet duct 22 extends upwardly from the center of the head 19, this outlet duct having communication with any suitable outlet line 23 extending to a stack or other pointlof iue as discharge.

The outer s ell 10 is also spaced from the intermediate shell 9 to permit of a lling of heat insulating inaterial 24:- between said shells.l This heat insulating material may consist of an asbestos compound or any suittendedacross the top of, the latter head.

Water is supplied to the chamber 12 through a water inlet pipe 28 extending down through the top of the heater vand down into the water chamber 12, discharging therein at a low point adjacent the bottom head 16. The hot water is discharged from the upper part of the chamber 12 through an` outlet pipe 29 extending upwardly from the head 14 through the top voi? the heater. The head 14 ma be welded or otherwise secured in watertig t joints to the pipes 28 and 29. The lower portion of the inner shell 8, below the head 16, defines acombustion chamber or iire box wherein' occurs the initial com-` bustion of the liquid fuel. The circular inner walls of this shell are lined with a facf ing of heat refractory material- 81, which projecting from the top'of the heater and f zle 38 which discharges into the fire pot 31. A

tory lining 31 also extends across the bottomplate 7 to protect this plate against the high temperatures.

The liquid fuel burner which I preferably employ in this hot water heateris of the atomizmg type, although, other types of 'liquid fuel burners may be employed if desired. The burner, indicated generally at 34, is of the eneral construction disclosed-in my copen ing application, Serial No. 146,922, filed November, 8, 1926, wherein the electric motor 35, the fuel pump 36 and the air fan 37 are all disposed on a common horizontal shaft. The electric motor and fuel pump are disposed exteriorly of the heater, and the air fan 37 is contained within a relatively large air nozrectangular casing V39 extends horizontally through alined openings cut in the three shells 8, 9 and 10, and opens at its inner end into the fire pot 31. This casing has an attaching flange 41 which is riveted or otherwise secured to the outer side of the shell 10, and has a downwardly inclined portion 39 extending outwardly from the flange 41, such latter portion receiving and enclosing the air nozzle 38. A flange 42 at the extremity of this outwardly extending portion aifords a jected mounting member to which a radially extend'- ing flange on the nozzle is bolted or otherwise secured. As best shown in Figures 1 and 4, the outwardly extending portion 39 of this casing is provided with an opening or open ings 44 in one or both side walls, which openings are normally covered by closure elements 45 in the form of swinging flaps pivoted to the casing on screws or pivot studs 46. The opening or openings 44 are disposed in proximity to or sli htly in advance of the discharge end of t e air nozzle 38, and through these o enings'the combustible mixture profrom the nozzle can be ignited or the operation ofthe burner can be observed. The present heater may be designed for manual control, i. e. whereinfthe electric motor 35 is stopped and started by a manually operated switch. It will be understood that fuel is only supplied to the combustion cham- 'ber when the motor is operating, as is fully described in my above mentioned copending ap lication.` In 'such manually controlled em odiment the ignition of the mixture, upon bringing the burner into operation, may be effected by manually igniti'iig the same through one of the openings 44; or, if desired,

a suitable pilot burner, or electrical ignition means, may be provided for igniting the same.

In many instances it will be desirable to have tion of the thermally responsive switch 48 isY controlled'by the temperature of the'water in the chamber 12, such switch unit` comprising a stemV portion 51 which is suitably secured to the outer shell 10, and which has a tubular portion 52 extending into the water chamber 12, as best shown in Fig. 2. -The tubular extension 52 has a closed inner end and contains any thermally responsive element which will be effective for actuatin the switch mechanism in the switch unit 48. uch switch element may be of the type commonly referred to as a mercury switch, wherein the tipping of a glass tube 53 is operative to cause mercury to iow into or out of engagement with electrical contacts extending into. the tube. The bi-metallic ribbon within the tubular stem portion 52, being subject to the temperature ofthe water in thev chamber 12, twists or untwists with the variation of temperature and tips the mercury switch 53 to start or stop the operation of the burner 34, to the end of maintaining the water in the chamber 12 betweencertain temperature limits. With this automatically operating burner, a pilot light, or electrical ignition means, is employed for automatically re-igniting the mixture with each successive operation of the burner.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the burning mixture and products of combustion in passing from the combustion chamber up through the annular flue 18 willl be conveyed through a relatively long pass so that complete combustion is assured before they are discharged from the heater. Moreover, these burning gases and products of combustion will have direct heat transferring contact with all sides of the water chamber. Owing to the relatively large areal of the annular flue 18 and the complete absence of small iiucs there is no possibility of the heater becoming clogged with flue dust. The three sheet metal struction.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A domestic hot water heater comprising three spacedconcentric shells, a single bottom plate on -which all three of said shells rest, separate heads closing the upperends of the inner and intermediate shells, said up r heads being spaced to define an upper ue 120 shells afford a light and inexpensive con# l n the inner and intermediate shells, said heads area therebetween, an outlet duct communieating with said upper Hue area, a lower head in said inner shell above said bottom plate and defining a water .chamber in the upper part of said inner shell, and defining a combustion chamber in the lower part of said shell, a heat refractory lining extending around the side walls of said combustion chamber and across the top surface of said bottom plate, said heat refractory lining terminating short of the lower head in said inner shell, said inner shell having a plurality of holes therein between said insulating llining and said lower head for conducting the products of combustion from said'combus- .tion chamber to an annular Hue area defined bet-Ween the inner and intermediate shells, said annular Hue area communicating with said upper Hue area, heat insulating material between the intermediate and outer shells and extending down around said combustion chamber, casin means defining a laterally extending opening passing through all three of said shells and through said insulating lining for communicating with said combustion chamber, andan atomizing liquid fuel burner mounted on the outer end of said casing means and discharging `through said opening into said combustion chamber.

2. A domestic hot water heater comprising three spaced concentric shells, a single bottom plate on which all three of said shells rest, separate heads closing the upper ends of being spaced to define an upper Hue area therebetween, an outlet duct communicating with said upper Hue area, a lower head in said inner shell to define a water chamber above said lower head, and a combustion chamber between said head and said bottom plate, said inner shell having a plurality of holes-therein adjacent to said lower head for conducting the roducts of combustion from said combustion chamber to an annular Hue area defined between the inner and intermediate shells, said annular Hue area communicating with said upper Hue area, heat insulating material between the intermediate and outer shells and extending down around the sides of said combustion chamber substantially to said bottom plate, and burner means associated with said combustion chamber.

3. A domestic hot water heater comprising three spaced concentric shells, a single bottom plate on which all three of said shells rest, an annular Hue area defined between the inner and intermediate shells and extending down substantially to said bottom plate, an outlet duct lcommunicating with the upper portion of said Hue area, heat insulating material between the intermediate and outer shells and extending down substantially to said bottom plate, a head in said inner shell spaced from said bottom plate and defining a water chamber in the upper portion of said inner shell, an outlet pipe for withdrawing the heated water from said water chamber, a heat refractory lining extending around the inner sides of said inner shell, and across the top surface of said bottom plate for defining a combustion chamber, said inner shell having a plurality" of holes therein between said head and said insulating lining for conducting the products of combustion from said combustion chamber to said annular Hue area, casing means defining a laterally extending opening passing through all three of said shells and communicating at its inner end with said combustion chamber, and a motor driven liquid uel burner mounted on the outer end of said casing means and discharging through said opening into Said combustion chamber.

' MARSHALL H. BRADEN. 

